Rep. Tsuji's memorial service: asking for pictures and notes of condolences, 11-21-2016, posted 11-22-2016

To: WIS 

From: Rae Yamanaka

Re: Rep. Tsuji's memorial service: asking for pictures and notes of condolences

THIS MESSAGE IS GOING OUT BCC TO ALL SLLS.  PLEASE LET YOUR TEACHERS KNOW.

 

Representative Clift Tsuji’s memorial service will be held on Sunday, Dec. 4^th at Dodo Mortuary.  Viewing will be at 2pm and the funeral services will be at 4pm.

 

Representative Tsuji was a great friend to teachers and a supporter of public education.   He will be missed.

 

I am asking for any pictures or notes to the family that we can include into a booklet for the Tsuji ohana.  Please send them to me by Nov. 30^th so we can include them into the booklet.

 

Thank you,

rae

 

Rae A.Yamanaka

HSTA Hilo UniServ Director

Hilo Lagoon Centre

101 Aupuni St., ste.219

Hilo, HI  96720

Phone:  (808)935-9301 office; (808)365-6979 cell

Fax:  (808) 969-7492

Email:  ryamanaka@hsta.org

 

An Injury to One is an Injury to ALL!

 

Member Matters: HSTA launches 'Thank a Teacher' ad campaign; Vote Nov. 8; HSTA's new YouTube and Instagram accounts; HSTA backs rail school impact fee, 11-4-2016; posted 11-5-2016

HSTA launching 'Thank a Teacher' ad campaign Four prominent citizens reflect on the positive impact their Hawaii public school teachers had on them in HSTA’s TV and Internet “Thank a Teacher” campaign that begins next week. Watch the "Thank a Teacher" video on HSTA's Facebook page. Actor and martial artist Jason Scott Lee, who graduated from Pearl City High, is one of those featured in the spots. Two television commercials featuring Lee and other well-known public school graduates will air on Hawaii News Now, KHON and KITV between Nov. 9 and 27, targeted after the election and before the prime holiday shopping season. The TV spots will run during major seasonal programming such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the finale of Dancing with the Stars and the American Music Awards. Links to the ads will also appear online starting Nov. 16 on Facebook, Hawaii News Now’s web page and other sites related to education and family interests. The spots end with Cynthia Chang, a kindergarten teacher at Noelani Elementary, portraying the teacher who gets hugged by Daniel Brummel, a first grader at Noelani. His mother, Kristen Brummel, a resource teacher for Honolulu district, also appears with Daniel and Cynthia in the commercials. Each 30-second spot concludes with the tagline, “It only takes a moment to thank a teacher.” Read more about HSTA's "Thank a Teacher" campaign. Designer Sig Zane also appears in the commercials. He said as a student at Roosevelt High, his greatest influence came from his art teacher, Mr. Ishibashi. Sunshine Topping, an executive at Hawaiian Telcom, spoke in the commercials about Mel Kaetsu, her anthropology teacher at Hilo High. Maake Kemoeatu, a former pro football player for three NFL teams, remembered how much public school teachers meant to him when he moved to Hawaii from Tonga at age six, unable to speak English. HSTA Executive Director Wilbert Holck said the “Thank a Teacher” campaign is “our way of promoting something that’s important for teachers — to know that people appreciate them for all they do for children and their communities.” Read more about HSTA's "Thank a Teacher" campaign.   Subscribe to and follow HSTA's new social media accounts Be sure to subscribe to HSTA's new YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram for the latest videos, photos and news about our Association and public schools in Hawaii. Subscribe to HSTA's YouTube channel here. See one of the new 30-second HSTA "Thank a Teacher" television spots on Instagram now, before it begins airing on Honolulu TV stations Nov. 9. Follow @HSTAvoice on Instagram.   Early voting ends Sat. Nov. 5; HSTA recommends General Election political candidates for Nov. 8 election Early walk-in voting continues for a final day tomorrow across the state and will end Saturday, Nov. 5, along with late voter registration. See a list of early voting sites and hours here. Late voter registration ends on Nov. 5, just three days before Election Day on Nov. 8. HSTA board members sign wave with State Senate candidate Stanley Chang. After a lengthy process that included a candidate questionnaire, interviews, and a review of voting history, HSTA’s Board of Directors, in concurrence with the HSTA Government Relations Committee, recommends teachers vote for the following candidates in the General Election. Read the full list of HSTA's State House and Senate recommended candidates here. In the presidential race, the HSTA recommends Hillary Clinton, a Democrat. The HSTA recommends the re-election of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D) as well as U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D), representing rural Oahu and the neighbor islands in Hawaii’s Congressional District 2. The HSTA also recommends sending Colleen Hanabusa (D) back to Congress in the 1st Congressional District seat she previously held representing urban Honolulu in the U.S. House.   HSTA backs Honolulu rail school impact fees The Hawaii State Teachers Association testified strongly in support of a Department of Education proposal to charge developers school impact fees for each apartment built along a four-mile stretch of the rail transit line through urban Honolulu. Watch this video with HSTA testimony in favor of rail impact fees for schools. As many as 40,000 new apartment units could be built along the rail route between Middle Street and Ala Moana Center in the next 30 years. The DOE is proposing developers along a stretch of the rail line pay a $9,374 impact fee for each apartment unit they build to help expand existing schools near rail or build new ones. Right now, there are 13 public schools along that portion of the rail project. The DOE estimated public school enrollment in this part of Honolulu will grow by as many as 9,000 students in the next couple of decades because of rail. So the DOE predicted needing up to six new elementary schools, one and a half middle schools along with one and a half high schools along the rail route through urban Honolulu. At a DOE public hearing on the proposal Nov. 2 at Farrington High, HSTA President Corey Rosenlee testified in strong support. “We encourage the Board of Education to pass this,” Rosenlee said at the hearing. Read more about the rail line school impact fee proposal. “There’s going to be a point with all these new buildings going up in Kakaako that we are going to need new schools. And the question is if we don’t have these fees, are we not going to build these schools?” Rosenlee added. “Are our schools going to be old before we fix them? The reality is that we need to start these impact fees now so we develop this fund so that when our schools need these buildings, we have the ability to fund it.” Public comments on the proposal can be emailed to the Department of Education at heidi_meeker@notes.k12.hi.us. Copies of the written analysis of the proposed Kalihi to Ala Moana district, including a map of the district, are also posted on the HIDOE website at: http://bit.ly/ImpactDistricts.   Air, hotel and other travel discounts   Being a member of HSTA means you can earn great discounts on airlines, hotels, rent a cars and attractions in Hawaii and on the mainland. Here's a list of updated HSTA discounts for air, hotel, car rentals and more.   Benefits of Belonging, retirement planning and Degrees Not Debt workshops The Membership Services Committee brings you a host of workshops over the next couple of months. First, come find out your benefits of belonging to HSTA and how we are here to support you. Get connected to:  Our HSTA community and member benefits HSTA VEBA Trust insurance plans and protection  Our HYPE (Hawaii Young Professional Educators) program for new educators Professional development courses  Benefits of Belonging: Kona Chapter Thursday, Nov. 17 4:15 p.m. Kealakehe Intermediate Library Workroom RSVP By Nov. 4  Sign up for Nov. 17 Kona Benefits of Belonging Retirement Workshops: Honolulu/Central Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop Thursday, Nov. 17 4:30 p.m. HSTA headquarters, Red Hill RSVP for Nov. 17 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA Honolulu "Are you on track to retire?" Workshop Wednesday, Nov. 30 6 p.m. Side Street Inn, Kapahulu Avenue RSVP by Nov. 22. Please RSVP with your name, phone number and the number of people you are bringing to the workshop. Hosted by our NEA retirement specialists. Please RSVP to tereen@shiraishifinancialgroup.com Leeward Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop Thursday, Dec. 1 4 p.m. HSTA headquarters, Red Hill RSVP by Nov. 22 RSVP for Dec. 1 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA "Are you on track to retire?" Workshop Monday, Dec.19 6 p.m. Waikele Golf Course RSVP by Dec. 8. Please RSVP with your name, phone number and the number of people you are bringing to the workshop. Hosted by our NEA retirement specialists. Please RSVP to tereen@shiraishifinancialgroup.com Central/Honolulu Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop Tuesday, Jan. 24 4 p.m. HSTA headquarters, Red Hill RSVP by Jan. 10 RSVP for Jan. 24 Pre-Retirement Workshop at HSTA HYPE Degrees Not Debt workshop Do you have federal student debt and are unsure of whether you qualify for federal loan forgiveness programs such as Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF), Teacher Loan Cancellation (TLC) and/or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?  Wednesday, Nov. 16 4:30 p.m., in-person workshop 6:30 p.m., online virtual workshop HSTA headquarters, Red Hill Read the NEA's degrees not debt page.   HSTA members head to NEA minority and women's conference Mahalo to the members selected to represent Hawaii at the NEA West Minority Leadership Training and Women’s Leadership Training Conference.  The MLT and WLT programs prepare educators to be powerful advocates for their students, their profession, and their association. This conference prepares ethnic-minority members with foundational leadership skills and teaches them how to advocate for student-policies and social justice issues that impact their schools and communities.   Representing HSTA at the San Diego conference in December are: Romeo Eleno, Lanai Chapter Cheney Kaku, Hilo Chapter Shaun Kamida, Honolulu Chapter Ashley Olson, Maui Chapter Christian Santomauro, Windward Chapter Amanda Seymore, Central Chapter   Nominations being accepted for Pono and Friend of Youth awards HSTA’s Youth, Human, and Civil Rights (YHCR) Committee is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the annual Friend of Youth Award and Pono Award. The Friend of Youth Award honors an outstanding individual from the community whose work has positively impacted the youth of Hawaii. The Pono Award is HSTA's social justice activist award. It recognizes one exceptional member who demonstrates the ability to lead, organize, and engage educators, parents, and the community to advocate on social justice issues that impact the lives of students, fellow educators, and the communities they serve. Click here to nominate someone for HSTA's Friend of Youth Award. Click here to nominate a teacher for HSTA's Pono Award. Nominations for both awards are due Jan. 9.

Education Votes article, posted 11-5-2016

Article on Clinton's and Trump's positions on EDUCATION:

http://educationvotes.nea.org/2016/10/29/clinton-and-trump-offer-vastly-diferent-education-visions/?utm_source=EdVotes&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EdVotesEmail&utm_content=Election%202016

Hilo Chapter Report: New member dinner held; Sign waving Monday; School visits completed, posted 11-3-2016

Aloha Hilo Chapter Members: I hope that all of you had a restful fall break.  ESSA Town Hall Meeting The Every Student Succeeds Act Town Hall meeting was held August 24 at Waiakea High School cafeteria. There was a good turnout of more than 100 people to talk about their vision for improved public schools in Hawaii under the new federal education law. HSTA was well-represented at the ESSA meeting.   School Visits We have started school visitations and will continue to visit schools within our chapter. The purpose of these school visits is to hear from you, our members, about your concerns, issues, feedback for negotiations and other thoughts or recommendations you may have about how we can support each other through HSTA. State President Corey Rosenlee and I visited Kea’au Elementary, Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAAS), Pahoa High and Intermediate, Keonepoko, Waiakea Elementary, Waiakea Intermediate, Waiakea High and Ka’Umeke Ka’eo PCS. Hilo Chapter Negotiations Co-Chair Aaron Kubo and I visited Ha’aheo, Kaumana and Hilo Union. Hilo Chapter Negotiations Co-Chair Evette Tampos and I visited Kua O Kala PCS, Kea’au Middle, and Mountain View Elementary.   KKP Kahua & New Teacher Dinner In September, Membership Co-Chair Debra Borges spoke to Kahua participants of the Ka’u, Kea’au, Pahoa (KKP) Complex, encouraging them to sign up as HSTA members. She did a quick briefing on the benefits of being a member.  She and Membership Co-Chair Edwin Kagawa also planned a Benefits of Belonging New Teacher Dinner which was held on Sept. 23 at the UH Hilo dining hall.   Upcoming Events: Political Action Activities: Sign Waving – *Monday, Nov. 7 from  4 – 5 p.m. on sidewalk by the Civic Auditorium. Grand Rally to follow at Aunty Sally’s Luau Hale. *Wednesday, Nov. 9 – Mahalo sign waving from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in front of King Kamehameha Statue on Kamehameha Avenue. Next RA – Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 5 – 6:30 p.m., Kea’au High School Library Mahalo for your time. Dawn K. K. Raymond HSTA Hilo Chapter President

Copyright © 2016 Hawaii State Teachers Association, All rights reserved. Mahalo for your engagement. Our mailing address is: Hawaii State Teachers Association 1200 Ala Kapuna Street Honolulu, HI 96819